Women Who Scored the Most Runs in Cricket

Women’s cricket has grown a lot and gained more attention around the world. Many female players showed great skill with the bat and set important records. Some scored thousands of runs and changed how the game is played. This article looks at the women who scored the most runs in international cricket.

Mithali Raj: The Leading Run-Scorer in Women’s Cricket

Mithali Raj, born on 3 December 1982, led the Indian women's cricket team as captain from 2004 to 2022. She scored the highest runs in women’s international cricket, crossing 10,337 runs in all formats. Raj set many records, such as being the only woman to pass 7,000 runs in One Day Internationals (ODIs) and the first to hit seven consecutive 50s in ODIs. She also played in two ICC ODI World Cup finals as captain, in 2005 and 2017.

In 2018, Raj became the first Indian woman to score 2,000 runs in Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is), and she reached 200 ODI matches in 2019. She retired from T20Is to focus on ODIs and completed 20 years of international cricket that same year. Raj surpassed Charlotte Edwards’s record for the most international runs in 2021 and retired from all international cricket on 8 June 2022.

Mithali played 11 Test matches, scoring 669 runs at an average of 44.60, including 1 century and 4 fifties. In 217 ODIs, she scored 7,304 runs at an average of 51.80, with 7 centuries and 58 half-centuries. Raj made 2,364 runs in 89 T20Is at an average of 37.52 and hit 17 half-centuries.

Charlotte Edwards: England’s Record Run-Scorer

Charlotte Edwards, born on 17 December 1979, played for England from 1996 to 2016 and later became a coach and commentator. She was a right-handed batter and started her international career as the youngest woman to play for England. Edwards scored the highest individual score for England in ODIs with 173 not out against Ireland in 1997. She holds the second most Test appearances for women and is England's top scorer in ODIs and T20Is.

Edwards captained England starting in 2005, leading the team to World Cup and World T20 victories and several Ashes wins. She retired from international cricket after the 2016 World T20 and continued to play domestically until 2018. After retirement, she took coaching roles and has a domestic women’s T20 competition named after her.

Charlotte played 23 Tests, scoring 1,676 runs at an average of 44.10, including 4 centuries. She made 5,992 runs in 191 ODIs at an average of 38.16, with 9 centuries and 46 fifties. In 95 T20Is, Edwards scored 2,605 runs at an average of 32.97 and hit 12 half-centuries.

Suzie Bates: New Zealand’s Leading Batter

Suzie Bates, born 16 September 1987, is a New Zealand cricketer and former captain of the national team. She plays domestically for Otago Sparks and holds records for the highest score and batting average in New Zealand’s women’s T20 cricket. Bates won the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award twice, in 2013 and 2016.

She has not played Tests but is a key player in ODIs and T20Is. Bates has played 125 ODIs, scoring 4,548 runs at an average of 42.50, including 10 centuries and 27 half-centuries. In T20Is, she has scored 3,301 runs in 122 matches with an average of 30, including 1 century and 21 half-centuries.

Stafanie Taylor: West Indies Star All-Rounder

Stafanie Taylor, born 11 June 1991, is a Jamaican cricketer and former West Indies captain. She has played over 250 matches since debuting in 2008. Taylor is a right-handed batter and off-break bowler. She won the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award in 2011 and was the first West Indian woman to score 1,000 ODI runs.

Taylor has not played Tests but shines in limited-overs formats. She scored 4,754 runs in 126 ODIs with an average of 44.01, including 5 centuries and 36 half-centuries. In T20Is, she made 3,078 runs in 110 matches at an average of 35.37, hitting 21 half-centuries.

Meg Lanning: Australia’s Top Scorer

Meg Lanning, born 25 March 1992, captained the Australian women’s cricket team and played a major role in winning seven world championships, including two World Cups and five World T20 titles. She holds the record for the most centuries in Women’s ODIs and is the first Australian to score 2,000 T20I runs.

Lanning plays domestically for Victoria and the Melbourne Stars and captains Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League. She announced her international retirement on 10 November 2023.

In Tests, Lanning scored 185 runs in 4 matches at an average of 53.13. In 85 ODIs, she scored 3,925 runs at an average of 53.76, including 14 centuries and 15 half-centuries. In T20Is, she made 2,914 runs in 110 matches with an average of 35.97 and hit 2 centuries and 13 half-centuries.

Conclusion

These five women cricketers have achieved a lot in their careers and shown strong skill with the bat. They have scored many runs across different formats and led their teams well. Their records reflect the growth of women’s cricket and the increasing recognition it receives worldwide. These players set high goals that others in the sport aim to reach.